by
Ken Wooden
While performing in New York City's old Palace Theater back in 1921, comedienne Gracie Allen quipped to
George Burns, "My mother told me to 'Never Talk to Strangers'..." As far back as anyone can remember,
that safety slogan has served as the bedrock of child safety efforts. Paradoxically, personal safety
literature and programs generated over the years from the "Never Talk to Strangers" adage may have
actually put children at greater risk for abuse.
In reality, most children are sexually abused not by strangers, but by someone they know, at least on
some level - a neighbor, coach, babysitter, family friend, Boy Scout leader, clergyman, or even a
family member. Furthermore, pedophiles are notoriously personable with children and will go out of
their way to put a child at ease. In the eyes of a child, even a complete stranger who engages the
youngster in friendly conversation quickly becomes someone that child "knows."
In 1993, a Chicago pre-schooler helped me educate millions of Americans concerning the "Stranger-Danger"
misnomer. In a wake-up call to concerned parents, I demonstrated on
The Oprah Winfrey Show how easy it
is to lure children out of a playground, even though they had been coached numerous times by their parents
to never talk to or go with strangers.
As a shocked nation watched, this 3-year-old girl followed me out of the playground gate after agreeing
to help me find a supposed lost puppy. Afterward, the little girl's clearly distraught mother asked in
a shaky voice, "Why did you go with that strange man?" Her daughter innocently answered, "He wasn't a
stranger Mommy, he was a nice man!"
Well over a million children are victims of sexual abuse every year, and unless we invest time and
effort into prevention education, those numbers will continue to rise. Methanphetamine labs are spreading
like wildfire all over America, providing sexual predators with a strong and inexpensive aphrodisiac
that is leading to an increase in sexual violence. Sex enhancement drugs like Viagra are extending
the sex life of aging molesters and can easily be obtained through Medicare and Medicaid.
In the battle against America's epidemic of childhood sexual abuse, relevant and effective prevention
education must be the defensive weapon of choice. Gracie Allen's reference to the "Never Talk to
Strangers" safety slogan dates it as a 1921 Model of Prevention.
I recently asked military leaders within the National Security Agency:
"Would you fly combat troops in a 1921 model aircraft?"
"Would you arm soldiers with weapons manufactured in 1921?"
"Would you treat their wounds with medicine or medical techniques utilized in 1921?"
"Would you provide our armed forces with 1921 models of transportation, weaponry or medicine in its
efforts against the likes of Saddam Hussein?"
"Would you want our National Security using 1921 technology to monitor those who are a threat to
the United States?"
Of course not. Likewise, should we base our efforts to safeguard children on a 1921 model of
prevention? Absolutely not. To quote President Abe Lincoln, "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate
to the stormy present."
–
Ken Wooden
With the ORIGINAL Sexual Abuse
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